Baby
by dabbling
Summary: A very different take on the birth of Alex's nephew. It is probably not finished yet. I'm gonna let y'all tell me if I'm through with it yet.
1. Chapter 1

Baby

Alex didn't see the baby right away. He went straight to her sister's arms. The entire Eames clan gathered around the new parents, leaving Alex in the staff's capable hands.

Liz was kind enough to include Bobby as one of the multiple recipients of the text.

Though she still hurt, the pain was less than that of giving birth. Apparently, something was torn, and the Doctor had to stitch her up before sending her back to a room to rest.

There was an ache, and a throbbing, but mostly Eames was feeling very lonely. In her exhaustion, she took a deep breath and gave herself a mental pep-talk. Of course you knew this would be emotional. You knew that going in. Think of Liz and how happy she and Stan must be. Besides, Nathan was never yours. He only lived inside you for nine months. He's not made of your DNA.

* * *

Goren was so relieved. He was walking the halls of the courthouse with his temporary partner when the text came through. He shared the news with her and everyone else standing in earshot. He was as happy as could be.

He made excuses and headed for the hospital. The court summons had taken precedence over Alex giving birth, and he'd been incredibly annoyed by it. He'd done everything he could to support her through her pregnancy, and he was devastated that he couldn't be with her at the finish line. Thank God a verdict had come through, and the trial was over. Now there was nothing standing in the way of his seeing Eames.

* * *

"Alex? You awake?"

"Yeah, Johnny," she croaked with a groggy voice.

"He's beautiful, sis. You did a great job."

Alex answered with a weary sigh.

"You okay?"

"'Course." It was a lie, but there was no way she went through nine months to let her family down at the end. Even if she had regrets, she resolved that the Eames clan would never know.

Johnny brushed a stray hair away from her eyes with his fingertips. He knew something was off, and he suspected it was a kind of post-partum depression. But if Alex wanted to pretend she was fine, he wasn't going to make things difficult for her by confronting her with it. "Okay. Did… did you want to see him? Your nephew?"

Alex swallowed hard. She did, and she didn't. "So tired…" she whispered. Maybe she could buy herself some time before she had to fully face these emotions.

"Okay. Rest first. I'll come back to see you in a little while, okay, sis?"

She nodded.

"Love ya."

She nodded again, and closed her eyes, hoping desperately for sleep to come.

* * *

She heard something shuffling nearby and her curiosity got the best of her. She opened her eyes to peek.

Bobby. He was sitting in the bedside chair, trying to read two magazines at once while his left knee bounced uncontrollably.

"Hey," she said to him, and he scooted forward, dropping both magazines on the floor. He started for them to pick them up, then realized what he really cared about was at eye level. He looked her in the eye and smiled wide.

"Hi," he said it so gently, she felt like some kind of princess. "Are you, you know, feeling all right?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said, feeling the painful throbbing in her nether parts again. She pulled a face and shifted her position slightly.

"They said you, uhm, you need to get up and walk a little. I mean, you—if you're up to it, I'd be happy to give you a hand."

Alex closed her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was get out of the bed.

"I brought you somethin'."

She opened her eyes again, and saw he was pointing at a bouquet of flowers. Mixed arrangement, all friendship and joy and care. She tried to smile. "Thanks, Bobby."

"So… you ready for a walk? We could go down the hall and see the baby."

Her heart sank. She still didn't want to. She was afraid if she saw him, she would feel the emptiness all over again.

"Eames?"

When she looked into Bobby's eyes, she saw deep concern written there.

"Okay, uh, we… don't have to… if you're not ready yet." He had realized from her expression exactly what the problem was. "But you still need to walk."

She closed her eyes and sighed. She had to heal quickly and get back to her life. It was the only way to deal with… with all of it. Alex nodded and started to push up on her elbows.

Bobby's large hand was supporting her back, and she trembled against him. Her muscles were spent from the hours of childbirth. She didn't know how she was supposed to walk a few feet, much less down the hall.

He helped her to her feet and she only winced a little. "Uh… here," he said, and held her robe for her while she pulled it on. Alex held herself up on the back of the guest chair while Bobby gently tied the sash for her. "Ready?" he asked, checking her eyes for honestly.

"Okay," she breathed. He held his arm out and she reached through the crook with her fingers while he put his other hand firmly against hers. He was her strength, and he wouldn't let her fall. Slowly, they shuffled out of the room.

"Look who's up!" Said an excited voice. Alex's father stepped forward and dropped a kiss on Alex's cheek. "You look terrific, sweetie," the old man said. "And Nathan is the most beautiful boy I've ever laid eyes on."

Alex had to smile at her father. He was so proud of his grandson. "Thanks, Dad," she said quietly. Her father took up position on her other side, and the three slowly strolled down the hall.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?" asked Mr. Eames.

Bobby looked down at Alex, who refused to meet his gaze. "Uh, I think she may not be ready to walk that far just yet," he offered.

"No, Bobby." She raised her eyes to his. "I'm okay."

He paused, searching her expression, and then he nodded. "To the nursery, then." He gave her a smile.

Her Dad held her right hand and Bobby held her left, and they walked her to the window of the nursery. A baby blue index card identified the third incubator from the right as Nathan James Gallagher.

Alex didn't break down, but she started to tremble. Bobby put his right arm around her waist and kept her on her feet. Her father didn't seem to notice, he was so enamored with his grandson.

"Let's get you back," Bobby suggested, and Alex's father took notice. "I've got her," Bobby assured her father.

The old man let go her hand, gave her another kiss on the cheek, and said, "I'm proud of you, sweetie."

Alex gave him a weary smile and let Bobby bear most of the burden as they navigated back through the hall to her waiting bed. She gasped and cried out as she climbed back in, and when he finally helped her lay back, his face was drawn with worry.

That's when the tears came. Her eyes filled so fast they were running down her cheeks before she even let go a whimper. She felt as though someone had torn the heart right out of her chest.

Bobby reached down with his big hands and pulled her against his chest. He soothed her as she cried, petting her hair and tucking his cheek against the crown of her head. She still felt empty, but she managed to stop crying.

Bobby gently laid her back against her pillow. He found a washcloth and helped her wash her face.

"I don't know why," she tried to explain.

"Shhh…there doesn't have to be a why," he told her.

"But it's not like he died or anything… he's not even mine, he's Liz and Stan's. Completely. It's like I just babysat for them for a while."

Bobby's eyes softened. "Nathan was a part of you, Alex. For nine months. He stimulated your hormones… he changed you. It makes perfect sense to me that you would be feeling a sense of loss right now."

She reached out her hand and he took it. Bobby rested his other hand in the softness of her hair and petted her until she fell asleep.

Bobby stayed at her side for two hours, and then he had to go find something to eat. He stopped by the nursery again, wondering at the child that Alex had brought into the world. He stood at the window and was shaken for a moment by how much the baby resembled a picture of himself as a newborn that he had seen in his mother's things.

Bobby shook away the thought. He was a newborn, and all newborns looked alike, when it came right down to it. His memory betrayed him, though, and he had fuzzy flashes of something that he'd been pretending had never happened.

He looked at the little boy again, and for a moment, his heart missed a beat. No. This was Liz and Stan's son. They'd paid a fortune for the fertility people to make this happen. There was no mistake, here. Alex was sure. He had to trust her.

But Alex didn't remember that night. And he'd never had the guts to tell her what he remembered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Walking was much easier that night, and Alex was scheduled to be released the next day. The baby was fine, and would be going home in another day or so, too.

Bobby focused all his energy on Alex. He did everything he could to meet her every need, and when his attention got on her last nerve, he even went home at her request.

But he couldn't stop his brain from spinning. What if Nathan was really his child? Bobby felt powerless to do anything about it. Even to run the tests to find out for sure would tear the Eames family apart. He would never know. He could never know. He wouldn't do that to them. They were blissfully happy. They had their miracle child, now. Alex had given them the ultimate gift, and already had started coming to terms with the separation.

For her sake, and for all of them, he resolved to shut the door on the possibility.

* * *

 _She hadn't had this much to drink in a long time. Alex got to her feet, and the room tilted to the left. Bobby's arms caught her before she could fall, and she closed her eyes gratefully, sinking into his embrace._

 _"I think I need to go home," she slurred up at him._

 _He was a little drunk, himself. "I think so, too," he replied. "I'll hail us a cab." The two staggered out into the night, holding each other up. Bobby barely managed to catch the attention of a driver. They fell into the back of the car and Bobby gave Eames' address._

 _"Bobby," she said as he closed her apartment door and locked it. "Did you ever wonder what it would be like?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"What we'd be like? Together?"_

 _"We're together all the time."_

 _She laughed and reached out her hand. At her touch, he was shocked to discover what she meant. He closed his hand over hers and slowly moved it away from his groin._

 _"Y-you can't mean that. You're drunk, Eames."_

 _"I've wondered." She smiled at him, and her eyes grew large. "I have!" She laughed again. "Haven't you?"_

 _He felt his mouth go dry. He'd stayed up more times than he cared to count pleasuring himself to fantasies of what it would be like with Eames. She was so beautiful, and on a daily basis, there was something about the way she moved, or spoke that would fill him with desire._

 _Bobby licked his lips. "I think we should c-c-call it a night."_

 _Her hand was cupping his chin, and then her fingers were at the back of his neck, tugging him downward until her wet mouth was over his. Bobby moaned, but couldn't bring himself to pull away._

 _The kiss ended, and then there were the hands: her right playing at his neck-hairs, her left drifting down his ribs, past his hip and against his thigh. His own hands grew a mind of their own: palms full of her, holding her backside, lifting her breast._

 _He kissed her fiercely, tasting the whiskey that lingered on her tongue. He heard her laugh, and this fueled his desire even more. "You have thought about it," she said._

 _"I want you, Alex," his lips murmured against her ear. Her left hand found his hardness, and he nearly blacked out from the bliss of her touch._

 _"You're so big!" The words came as a kind of purr, and he could have sworn he hardened even more. He gasped as she gave his cock a squeeze, and then she was yanking at his belt._

 _Bobby kissed her hard, and quickly unfastened his own pants, dropping them to the floor._

 _She fumbled with the buttons of her blouse, until he worked those free, as well. As he unfastened her bra, she reached inside his shorts with both hands, eliciting a needy cry from his lips._

 _The room was filled with their erratic breath. Bobby pulled her close, stilling her hands for a moment. He was afraid he would come out of pure anticipation. He had to slow things down. He held her tightly in his arms and swayed back and forth. Then he leaned down and found her lips again._

 _The tiny space between them was just enough for Alex to work her slacks free. She dropped them to the floor and stepped out of them. He almost tripped on his as she pulled him toward her bedroom. Clad in only their underwear, they entered the sanctuary of her room._

 _She sat on the bed and scooted backwards, inviting him to join her with her hands. Bobby crawled over her, dropping kisses against her clavicles and up her neck. She pushed her hips up against him, and he pulsed with need._

 _He panted, and she wriggled out of her underwear. She took his hand and placed it between her legs._

 _Bobby smoothed his hand along the length of her vagina, sending waves of pleasure from every zone. She moaned in pleasure and writhed a little. Her hand wandered over his cheek, feeling his 5 o'clock shadow as his hand began to slip more easily up and down._

 _He leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth, and her hand pushed at his grinding cock. She rubbed him hard through the cotton of his boxers, and he made her gasp with a sudden bit of suction._

 _Alex twisted her fingers against his shorts and they pulled partway off. Bobby's hand left her long enough to remove the underwear, and then his length was slipping easily up and down her slit, sending wave after wave of pleasure through them both._

 _He let loose her breast and kissed her once more on the mouth. "I want you, Alex," he said again, but he froze in place, his eyes asking permission._

 _She met his eyes with lust in her own. She nodded, and her hand guided him to her entrance. Alex lifted her legs, and he held his breath as he slowly leaned into her._

 _She was so tight, he had to hold himself in place with his hand. They managed it, the first sensation of their union being only a little uncomfortable. He moved slowly, knowing that his girth could be too much for her. She stretched to accommodate him, and soon they were moving more easily. She growled in pleasure with every thrust._

 _He made no sound, save for the arrhythmic patterns of his breath. Bobby stared at her face until his own pleasure overwhelmed him. His eyes closed, rolled back into his head, and as she throbbed around him, he erupted._

 _He cried out at his climax, his muscles rigid in his ecstasy. Her hands gripped his rock-hard forearms, and she was amazed by his strength. At last, he came back to the moment. He lowered his head and gently touched his lips to hers._

 _He fell against her, and the two enjoyed the buzzing of their satisfied bodies as they drifted into sleep._

 _Bobby woke in the wee hours. She was sleeping hard, and he quickly gathered his things and left. He berated himself for his loss of self-control and prayed that she would forgive him._

 _At work two days later, she never once mentioned it. He tried to broach the subject a couple of times, but his gentle hints got him nowhere. She either didn't remember or didn't want to admit that anything had ever happened._

 _Otherwise, things were as normal as always. Bobby breathed an inward sigh of relief and decided that it was all for the best._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Is something bothering you?" Bobby asked. Alex seemed overly distracted today, and more than a little bit irritable.

She sighed before she responded. "My sister. And Stan. Bobby, there was some kind of a screw-up. It looks like he's got my sister's DNA, but not Stan's."

Bobby broke into a cold sweat. "W-who-who's the paternal DNA belong to?"

"They don't have a match, or they won't admit they have one. Stan is talking to a lawyer. They are going to file a malpractice suit."

He licked his lips. The maternal DNA could be hers or her sister's. If Alex was already pregnant when they implanted the egg, it was possible it didn't take and the doctors didn't catch it. "Alex, are you sure th-th-that Nathan isn't yours?"

She cocked her head and looked to him in confusion. "What? Of course not!"

Bobby's brow furrowed. He looked down at his shoes and licked his lips again. "W-w-we need to talk. Privately." Without waiting for her answer, he walked briskly into an interview room. Once she had joined him, he shut the door a little too quickly. Bobby even turned the lock behind his back.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She demanded.

Bobby bit his lower lip, but his look of worry never faded. "Alex, about the time… of the procedure… we went out for drinks. At Kilkenny's… do you remember?"

They'd gone to that bar a hundred times in the last few years. She shrugged. "Maybe, I don't know. Why?"

"We both got a little drunk… well, you were… pretty far gone, really. We took a cab back to your place and… and…"

"Bobby?"

"I swear it was consensual. I thought it was, anyway."

"You're out of your mind!" she snapped at him. "We never!"

"We did."

She gaped at him, held her breath, and when she let it go, it was almost a cough. "Why don't I remember then?"

"You were drunk, Eames. A-A-Alex."

"And you're just telling me now? Ten months later?!"

"I th-thought you just wanted to… you know, put it behind us. Act like it never happened."

"This is nuts."

"I'm so sorry."

"My God, Bobby! I gave away… _our child!_ What in hell…?!"

He rubbed one huge hand over the entirety of his face, and then dropped heavily into a chair. "I know. And I suspected a month ago and I still didn't say anything. God, Alex. What do we do?"

She leaned hard against the table, palms down. "I've got to… t-t-tell my sister. We should do a paternity test… make sure… but, you know…"

He groaned. "I'm so sorry," he said again.

"Bobby." She looked him square in the eye. "I know you. If this happened… I wanted it. You would never take advantage of me."

"I was tipsy, too. I don't know."

"I know. You would never do that. No matter how drunk."

"But after the test, well then what?" he asked. "We're not exactly… in the kind of relationship to be parents. And your sister, and her husband… they…"

"Go get a blood draw. We'll confirm it before we try to figure anything else out. Okay?"

He swallowed hard and nodded.

* * *

Alex took the paperwork on her nephew along with Bobby's paperwork to Elizabeth Rodgers. She folded back the part with the names and asked Rodgers not to look at that part of the documents. Rodgers looked it over quickly, nodded, and said, "Yeah, that's a match."

Alex closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Thanks." She carefully took the documents back from the M.E. and walked out of the woman's office.

* * *

They sat stiffly at Alex's dining table, staring at each other. Bobby chewed on his cheek and rubbed the back of his neck. Alex bit her lip and scratched her head.

"I'm not prepared for fatherhood," Bobby admitted, painfully. He didn't want to appear a monster in her eyes, but he had to be honest about it.

"I don't want to hurt my sister." Alex said it, and it was true, but it was equally true that she still felt a deep sense of loss about giving up Nathan. This was only compounded now that she knew that he was biologically hers.

"I don't want to shirk my responsibility, though." Bobby rubbed the back of his neck again. Then he looked over wearily at Alex and opened his hands. "But she could try again…" He saw the pain in her eyes and knew that Alex would never be a surrogate again. "With a new surrogate," he added.

"The reason she asked me in the first place is because it is so expensive." Alex shook her head sadly. "Regardless, we need to tell them. We need to reimburse them the retainer and the lawyer fees."

He nodded. She was absolutely right. "But we need to make a decision, too, Alex. Do we take Nathan from them? Or do we play a role as Aunt and Uncle?"

She leaned on her elbows and pressed her head between the palms of her hands. "Bobby, I don't want to hurt my sister, but, damn it, I want my son!" She raised her eyes to his. "Is that horrible?!"

His brow furrowed and he chewed on his cheek again. Bobby pushed to his feet, circled the table, and gently pulled her hands away from her head. He didn't know what the hell was right or wrong, but he knew he hated to see Alex so torn. He pulled her into his arms and held her.

* * *

A/N I have painted myself into a corner! :) What should our heroes do? Or should I just stop here and leave it to the collective imagination of all the readers? I look forward to hearing from you.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The drive out was quiet, full of the silence that seemed like it was becoming a habit. Bobby stole a glance at her now and then, between long interludes of staring out the passenger-side window.

They still hadn't figured out what they were going to _do_ about it. And he found himself working through all the scenarios mentally.

 _1:_ _They decide to ask for their child back. Liz and Stan distance themselves from Alex, and there develops a huge rift in the Eames family. He and Alex move in together, bring the baby home, and immediately are thrown into a nightmare of unreachable expectations and very little sleep. The relationship lasts about a month, maybe two. She ends up with primary custody, and he gets Nathan about once a month. He wants more, but the truth is that's all he can handle on his own. Financially, she's on a shoestring and he's ruined._

Bobby scoffed at his own thoughts. Not that he's flush anyway, even now, without the added responsibility of a relationship and a _baby_ , for Christ's sake!

 _2: Liz and Stan keep Nathan, with the knowledge that they are not his biological parents. Alex sees Nathan every week, either babysitting or visiting with her sister's family. Bobby sees him more sporadically, at family events, holidays, or when he happens to sneak over while Eames is babysitting. Nathan never realizes who his parents really are until he develops some characteristics of schizophrenia in early adulthood and the truth comes out when they are all working together to get him some kind of treatment. He hates Bobby and Alex for the rest of his life._

Bobby raked his fingers through his hair, stared at the cars in the lane beside them, and tried not to audibly sigh.

 _3\. The truth is told, but the group of them decides not to change a thing. Bobby and Alex pretend they are not parents, that Nathan is really Liz and Stan's. Their family medical histories are always available and will help in the case of a dire emergency: loss of income, house, or the need for a bone-marrow transplant. Although they try carry on as if nothing has changed, Alex slowly distances herself from him. She harbors a silent hatred for him, blaming him for the loss of her one and only child._

"Bobby."

Her voice was so loud and unexpected that he nearly jumped out of his skin. He snapped his attention to her and tried to slow his heartrate. "What?!" he asked, irritated with her.

She tossed a look of confusion his way before shaking it off. "I think maybe we should just tell them what we know and give them some time to think about it. Maybe they will think of some options we haven't."

"Yeah. Fine," he grunted.

Alex's glance was full of annoyance. They were in this together, and she couldn't believe that he was upset with her. After all, _he_ was the one who knew all along there was a chance…

She pulled into the driveway and killed the ignition. Neither of them moved for a moment, listening to the popping of the engine as it began to cool. Finally, Bobby's restless energy took over. Without a word, he opened the door and got out.

Alex had to follow.

Her sister was as warm and kind as always. Over Nathan's cries she reached out with one hand and hugged Alex. She patted Bobby on the shoulder and led them both inside.

The baby was in a full-out screaming fit. Liz's face was tired. She looked like she hadn't slept in… well, a month. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the baby's cries. "He cries a lot. The doctor says it's colic, that he'll grow out of it. Stan and I have tried everything! We changed formulas, we tried those additives that are supposed to help, we even got a prescription, but nothing seems to be working!"

"Where is Stan?" Alex asked, knowing the importance of their visit.

Liz was standing close to Bobby, so she handed the baby to him and took a few steps away, rubbing her temples with her fingers. She handed a clean cloth diaper to Alex, who quickly tucked it over Bobby's shoulder.

He looked down at the face of his son. The little face was a mixture of anger and pain. He cried so hard Bobby could see all of his gums.

Alex followed her sister into the kitchen and left Bobby to care for Nathan.

"He's gone to the store, said we were low on diapers." There was a sadness in the way she said it that made Alex think there was a lot more to Stan's absence than Liz was letting on.

Alex was moved with compassion for her sister. "Why don't we go… somewhere quieter. Bobby's got Nathan, and you look like you could use a break."

Liz looked up at Goren, who now had the infant tucked against his shoulder, gently patting his back. He gave her a nod.

"Thank you," she said, and Alex followed her out to the back deck. She left the door open a crack so she could hear if Bobby needed anything.

He watched the women walk outside, but then turned his full attention to comforting the baby. Bobby shifted him to the other arm, laid the diaper out on the cushion of the couch, and then placed him on his back over it. He gently prodded the infant's tummy, then started working his little legs. He pressed them up and then down, and then bicycled them in the air. After a few minutes, Nathan spit up. Without pausing to think, Bobby grabbed the child's arm and turned him to his side. He spit up again, more this time. Bobby wiped the baby's face with a clean corner of the diaper. He gently removed the baby's outfit, wiped his chest clean, and carried him over to the diaper bag. As Bobby rummaged for a new onesie, the women returned.

They were looking at him in shock. "How'd you do that?" Liz asked, astonished.

"W-what?" he asked. Alex removed Bobby's hand from the bag and found what he'd been looking for. She also pulled another clean diaper out.

"He's not crying now."

"Oh… Uh… I don't know. He spit up. Maybe it helped?" Bobby looked down at his son, then. The child's head rested against his shoulder, and he was sucking on his fist. His little eyes were closed, and he seemed perfectly content.

They disturbed him enough to get him dressed again, and Liz cleaned up the mess on the couch. Bobby sat down with Nathan on his shoulder, and the ladies sat down, too.

"Amazing," Liz breathed. "In a month, I can count on one hand the times he's settled down like this."

"Uh, m-my mother said I was colicky as a baby. Any time we ran into an infant somewhere, she just automatically started, uh, moving the baby's legs like that. She said it was a habit from when she cared for me." He looked from one woman to another, lingering a little longer on Alex's gaze. "I guess it's the only thing I know how to do with them," he smiled.

Liz smiled gratefully, leaned her head back against the backrest of the couch, and closed her eyes.

"D-do you think Stan will be back soon?" Alex asked. "I kind of… wanted to talk to you both… about… what's going on with Nathan." As she said it, Alex's fingers reached down and stroked the infant's back. If she weren't so enamored with the child, she would have been overwhelmed with attraction for Bobby, who seemed so completely comfortable with a baby in his arms.

"I don't know. The lawyers, the lawyers say they can eat the doctors alive for this. They've assured us that we'll win the case."

Goren and Eames shared a quick glance.

"C-can you call Stan?" Alex asked.

"Oh. Uh, sure." Liz got up and dug in her purse for her phone. She dialed, and her husband said he would come straight home. When she returned, Bobby was transferring the baby to Alex's arms. She'd carried him for nine months, but today was the first time she'd actually held him.

Liz saw Alex's face fill with joyful tears. "He's beautiful," Alex breathed, and glanced at her partner, then at her sister.

Bobby gave Alex a subtle nod, and he got out of the way, steadying her with his hand as she sat down in the chair he'd just been in. His hand lingered on her shoulder.

Liz admonished herself. "I should be offering you something to drink, or—"

"No, no!" Bobby stuck out his hand, palm up. "You should rest. I can do it."

"There's tea in a pitcher in the fridge and there are some sodas down in the bottom…"

"I got it," he called confidently.

Liz leaned back and closed her eyes again.

"You're exhausted," said Alex.

"He hasn't slept more than an hour here and there since we brought him home. They say you're supposed to sleep when they sleep, but with all the things that need to be done around here, I just can't seem to settle down enough to sleep." As if to illustrate her point, she got up and straightened a stack of magazines on the end table.

"Don't get me wrong, Alex, I'm grateful for what you did for me, for us. Nathan is a blessing, and I know that."

Alex's cheeks colored. The baby shifted slightly in his sleep. As she looked down at him, she saw his resemblance to Bobby. Silently, she wished for Stan to arrive as quickly as possible.

Bobby appeared with a can of soda for her and a glass of iced tea for her sister. He sat down on the arm of the chair Alex was in, and she saw his eyes fall on the baby again.

Liz smiled at them. "You look like a family," she commented, waving her hand in their direction.

* * *

A/N I'm still open to suggestions! Feel free to review or send me a PM to let me know what you think should happen!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Stan was shocked to find his home calm and quiet when he entered. He dropped two bags of diapers and various other baby paraphernalia on the floor by the front door and walked into the room with a smile on his face. "He's okay?" He asked them all.

"Bobby's got the magic touch," Liz explained, nodding over at their two guests, who were still sitting close together on the easy chair. "And he must recognize Alex, because he's settled right in with her holding him."

"Thank God," Stan said, and bent down to kiss his wife on the lips. "Maybe we should have a date or something."

"Before you do that," Alex said warily… "There's something that… Bobby and I… need to talk to you about."

"Oh?" replied Stan, dropping down onto the couch next to his wife.

Alex licked her lips, looked at Bobby, looked at Nathan, and then brought them to rest on her sister. "I think there was a problem… but I don't think it was the fertility clinic's fault."

"What?" Liz was so exhausted she honestly couldn't make sense of what Alex said.

Stan leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"I…uh… apparently I had sex right before… the procedure."

"But Alex! You knew you were supposed to abstain—"

"I have no recollection of it," Alex explained, and looked over to Bobby.

"Sh-she was intoxicated."

Stan was looking from Alex to her partner. "Oh my God…" he muttered. "You're saying that you're-?"

"We had Bobby's DNA run just to be sure."

"He's yours?" Liz asked Alex. Then she looked at Bobby. "And yours?!"

Alex nodded. "The mitochondrial DNA is harder to pinpoint, but it doesn't matter, I mean, it's gotta be mine. I took the results to a doctor we work with, she reads DNA reports all the time. She said Bobby was a match."

Stan clasped and unclasped his hands. He was trembling with anger. "You didn't even disclose," he muttered.

"I didn't know. I knew someone had been in the room with me, but I didn't know exactly what had taken place. I never suspected that…"

"So what? You've come to take him?" Liz asked, her eyes wide and a rebellious tone in her voice.

"N-n-no, not… not necessarily…" Nathan fussed in her arms, responding to her tension. Alex glanced at Bobby, who stretched his arm behind her back and gave her arm a squeeze.

"We trusted you, Alex!" Tears were welling in Liz's eyes. "We trusted you with… our…" She sobbed, and buried her face in Stan's chest.

He glared at the two detectives. "We had a contract. This…baby…cost us everything we had. Our savings. Hell, we went into debt with the last two treatments. And now these Goddamn lawyer fees."

"We will reimburse you for the lawyers," Alex said. She looked at Bobby again, and he nodded.

"And then what? We can't afford to try this again." Stan sounded bitter.

"Look, we didn't say we were trying to take him from you," Bobby said.

"Then what the hell is your purpose in coming here?!"

"We just found out, and we thought it was important… that you should know," Alex replied as emotion overcame her as well. She stared at her broken sister and Alex's chest started to heave. The baby started to cry.

"Don't touch him," Stan warned as Bobby reached for the infant. "He's my son, and I'll take care of him." He wriggled out from under his wife and took two steps to stand in front of Goren. Alex reluctantly handed the baby to him.

The child wailed louder. Stan seemed completely uncomfortable holding him. He carried the baby over and set him in his wife's arms. "You can go, now," Stan told them, never bothering to turn and face them again.

Alex managed to get to her feet and turn toward the door. Bobby kept one hand on her back, but the look on his face was seething. "We'll talk later," he announced, and escorted Alex back to the car.

She fell into his arms as they neared the vehicle. "She hates me! My sister hates me now!"

He tried everything he could think of to soothe her. "Shhhh… No, don't think that… she just needs… some time. You know, like we did." It took several minutes, but she regained control of herself.

"I'll drive," he offered, and she handed him the keys. He waited for her to get in, then adjusted the seat and the mirrors, set his belt, and started to back out of the driveway.

* * *

Inside the house, the Gallaghers were just as upset. Liz found her voice and reprimanded her husband for how he'd handled things. "You had no business running them off! She's my sister!"

"She deceived us, Liz! She had to know she had sex before the procedure! How could you not know that?!"

"He said she was drunk. It's possible. My sister wouldn't lie, Stan. Not on purpose. This is some kind of big, horrible… mistake." Her tears faded, and she scrutinized her husband. Then she looked at the crying child in her hands. She transferred him to her shoulder and tried to soothe him even as she spoke to her husband. "I don't see why you're so mad anyway. You don't even like Nathan."

"What?!" he hissed. "You're insane."

"No, I'm not. It was hard enough with his constant crying but ever since you found out he wasn't yours, you haven't even tried to be a father to him."

"Didn't I just buy the Goddamn diapers?!" the man cried, gesturing to the bags that still sat on the hardwood floor.

She rolled her eyes and frowned. "It's not Nathan's fault," she whispered. "None of this is his fault." She kissed the baby behind his ear and gently shushed him. Then she stared at the far wall. "The question is, what do we do about it?"

"We call the fucking lawyers and drop the case before they charge us one more Goddamn dime," Stanley announced, withdrawing his cell phone and selecting the number.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Alex seemed to be shivering. She sat hugging herself in the passenger seat, silent as a stone except for the occasional breath that shuddered from her lungs.

Bobby was worried as hell about her. He drove as best he could with his attention divided between NYC traffic and the woman he loved. Several times, she should have cried out in fear, but she didn't. She didn't say a single word.

Bobby parked crookedly against the curb and slammed the door when he stepped out of the car. He glared at the oncoming traffic, and the next car slowed, apparently from fear of him.

He stomped around to her side and held her door open until she managed to climb out. She still held herself, and robotically, she walked towards the door of his apartment building.

Bobby locked the car and hurried to walk beside her. He kept a protective hand against the small of her back and got the door to the building open as quickly as he could. In the rickety elevator, he finally spoke to her. "It'll be okay, Alex. It will."

"She hates me."

"N-no, she's your sister. She's a lot like you. And she's mad, sure, and hurt, but she loves you, Alex, and she'll, you know, she'll come around."

Alex said not a word. She only shivered.

He threw his arm over her and guided her to his door. Inside, she seated herself on the couch, then drew her legs up until she was hugging them close to her chest.

"It's done. It's said." He told her, waving his hands in the air in front of him as if it made anything any clearer, any better.

She groaned and hugged herself tighter.

"You know, they'll have some time… they'll think things over… then we can try again."

"Try what? What the hell did we think? That we could walk in and claim Nathan and just walk out all sunshine and roses? Jesus!" She threw Goren and angry look. "What are we going to do, Bobby? Do you… do you _love_ me? At least Liz and Stan have that going for them. I don't know what the hell we've got… what we _are._ "

His faced screwed up, a twisted mass of emotion. "What do you mean, do I _love_ you? For God's sake, Eames!" He seemed honestly hurt.

She was stunned by his reaction. "Y-you…" Alex stopped and swallowed. She looked at the man before her. He was beside himself. "You love me?"

Bobby dropped beside her on the couch, reached out with both hands, and pulled her into a desperate kiss. They clung to each other, tongues searching, as if they could know the heart of the other simply by the intensity of the kiss. Finally, his mouth softened against hers, and he sat back. "I've been wanting to do that for…almost a year."

Alex reached for his hand, and they twined their fingers together.

Bobby's whole demeanor had changed. "Of course I love you," he said sincerely.

Alex leaned forward until her forehead was against his broad chest. She sat like that for a long time, and finally she said, "He looks just like you, Bobby." He didn't say anything, but she could feel his body move as he nodded his head. "Do you want… to raise him?"

Bobby's hands stroked her hair, then gently continued all the way down her back. "What do you want?"

She shook her head slowly, then finally raised it to look in his eyes. "I want what's best for _him._ "

Goren gave her a smile and a nod. "So do I," he said. "And I think that means _you."_

"No, Liz is more settled. She's got stability with Stan, and he's… you know, he's a good guy. He loves my sister. Nathan would do well with them."

"When you took him in your arms, he settled right down. Liz was right, it was like he remembered you."

"But Bobby, the job and the crazy hours and what if— God forbid…"

"Shhhh…" He pulled her gently to his chest again.

"What do you want?"

Bobby's hands smoothed up and down her back, slowing slightly as he turned inward, considering her question. "If you are willing to try with me… I'd like to… I'd like to be his father."

She seemed much calmer, now. She raised her eyes to his and followed with a hand to his cheek. For a long minute, she simply felt his rough skin against the palm of her hand. "I can't believe I don't remember that night."

Bobby turned his head and his lips closed against her palm. "It was beautiful," he told her. "Perfect." He kissed her hand again, and her left hand landed against his neck.

Soon her lips were searching out his. She shimmied onto his lap as they tenderly tasted each other. Bobby's hands settled against her hips, and he let her take the lead.

"We couldn't work together," she said suddenly, drawing away from him. "If we, if we make this real, they'll split us up."

He closed his eyes and kissed her. He could have cared less about the job just then.

Slowly, as their mouths met softly and their hands caressed each other, they let the tension of the day slip out of mind. All that existed was a long-forbidden love. Their moment had come.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Stan said, taking the baby from her arms and settling down with a bottle to feed him. "And you're right. I have been… angry about it."

"You have every right to be angry," Liz told him. "This hasn't turned out to be what anyone expected."

"I shouldn't have left you to bear the burden," he admitted quietly. "And you're right. It's not _his_ fault." Stan looked down at the contented baby, who was sucking powerfully at the bottle's soft nipple.

Liz moved closer and leaned against her husband's arm. She thought about how supportive he had been all through the surrogacy, attending the appointments with her and Alex, comforting her on the nights when she'd been filled with doubt or despairing that she couldn't carry her child herself.

"For better or worse, right?" He scoffed. "This is about the worst it could get."

It hurt to hear him say it, but Liz completely agreed with him. "I love you, Elizabeth," he whispered somewhere over her head.

They talked for a solid hour, weighing all the options, crying over what couldn't be. By the time they were drifting into a much needed sleep, Nathan awoke with a fierce cry of pain. He was colicky again.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Alex couldn't believe what had just happened. She'd dreamed of it every night for almost three years, but she never imagined her dream would come true. She lay beside him, feeling the warmth of his hand swirling over her bare skin. Her fingertips played at the hair on his chest.

They hadn't spoken for almost 20 minutes. They'd just lain together, content to be near one another, each listening to the peaceful breath of the other.

"Was it like that?" She finally asked him, her voice a timid whisper.

He shifted, moved his head to look into her eyes, and shook it slowly. "It wasn't anything like that. When we… when Nathan was conceived, it was all about… curiosity. It was good, don't get me wrong, but what just happened, here…" He shook his head again, and smiled the most perfect smile.

Alex's heart thumped in her chest. She reached up and touched his lips with two fingers, and he kissed them.

"I love you, Alex. You're the reason I get up every morning." He let his hand move in a wider circle than before, lazily gazing into her eyes and wondering how she felt. The truth was, he was afraid to ask her.

Alex scooted closer to him, and they managed a reclined embrace. "Bobby…"

"Hmmm…" he replied, and she could feel the vibrations of his voice.

"I want every night to be like this, here, now…"

He kissed the top of her head. In his mind, he made a vow.

"I love you," she told him, and his fingers trembled as he hugged her tighter. "Can we really do this?" She asked him.

Bobby shifted and she felt his mouth against her neck. "Of course we can. Nathan is ours, he's your eyes and my nose and he needs us, Alex. He needs us."

"She said he cries like that all the time."

"He stopped for me."

"Maybe he does need us."

"Of course he does." Bobby stared into her eyes, and then they kissed again.

* * *

"Alex, I wanted to say I'm sorry," Liz told her.

"I'm the one who's sorry, I—"

"No, you did the right thing, telling us, and Stan was just so upset by everything. We need to talk."

Her evening with Bobby had solidified Alex's intentions with Nathan, but now that she was talking to Liz, she was fearful that Liz wanted to keep him. She swallowed hard. "Yeah. We do."

"So, I know you probably have to work tomorrow."

"No," Alex announced firmly. "We-Bobby and I made arrangements for tomorrow."

"Okay. Can you come over for dinner?"

Alex licked her lips. "Dinner. Sure. Okay. We'll be there. Sh-you want us to bring something?"

"No, Alex, it's okay. Really."

"Liz—"

"Huh?"

"I don't want this to come between us."

"I love you, sis."

"You too."

She hung up the phone and turned to Bobby, who had been eavesdropping from the doorway. "We're meeting them at their house for dinner tomorrow night."

"What time?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I guess whenever we're done with the other."

* * *

They parted ways in the morning. Bobby hit several jewelry stores while Alex found the perfect dress. She spent even more time looking for the right shoes to go with it, while Bobby got his finest suit pressed for the occasion. With the rings in his pocket, he met her at the courthouse.

Thirty-five dollars later, they wowed Judge Carmichael with the kiss of the century. Bobby picked Alex up and spun her around before setting her back on her feet again. The Judge, the court recorder, and the bailiff relaxing in the corner all chuckled and clapped.

Alex checked the time on the bailiff's watch and turned to her new husband. "We have enough time to tell Deakins, if you want."

"I'd rather have a honeymoon," he said with a wink and another kiss.

Alex smiled at him. "Business before pleasure," she snarked. She took him by the hand and led him out to her car.

* * *

"What the hell?" Jimmy Deakins asked himself as he saw his two top detectives dressed to the nines and headed for his office holding hands.

He rooted through his desk drawer for his bottle of antacids. He heard the gentle knock and the jangle of the miniblinds as they pushed the door open and came in uninvited.

Goren closed the door behind them.

"You going to a wedding or something?" He asked, checking over their fancy clothes.

Alex beamed at Bobby, and she held up her left hand. "You could say that."

"What the…?!" Deakins thought his knees might give way underneath him. His astonished eyes looked at Eames and then Goren. "You—to each other?!"

Both Alex and Bobby laughed. Deakins, in his shock, managed to shake each of their hands. "W-w-why?" He asked. "I mean, why now? And why the surprise?"

Alex looked at Bobby. "We felt like it was time, sir," she said.

"I don't have to tell you to take care of her. You do that already."

Bobby grinned at his Captain.

"You know this is going to force some changes, here," Deakins said very seriously. "I don't mean to spoil your party, but…"

"It's fine, Captain," Bobby announced for the both of them. "We discussed everything. It's all right."

"Well, uh…" Deakins scratched his head. "I guess you'll be burning up some leave while you, uh… get settled."

"If you can spare us," Bobby said.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure…" Deakins scratched his head again and then shook it. "I'll be damned."

"We have to get going, Captain. Thank you… for everything," Alex told him, and she felt Bobby's hand in the small of her back as they left the man's office.

Deakins finally let his knees buckle. He fell right into his chair. "I'll be damned," he said again.

* * *

A/N Hahaha! Bet you didn't expect THAT! I know it's sudden, but so is this baby thing, right? And who knows what our two heroes would really do once they realize how much they love each other? Now I'd better make some progress on TRTE while I try and figure out what the discussion with Liz and Stan will be like in this story! Still open to suggestions!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"I know she told me not to bring anything, but I think we're all gonna be glad to have a good stiff one while we have this conversation." Alex handed the bag containing the two bottles of scotch to her new husband. He allowed himself to grin a little. He couldn't have agreed with her more. He followed her to her sister's door and they waited on the porch, listening to the little man's screams as someone tried to comfort him.

Their eyes met, and both set their jaws. They wanted what was best for Nathan.

"Sorry it took so long, I was trying to help Stan with the baby. Come in." Liz stepped back, and Alex and Bobby entered. She closed the door behind her guests. Bobby shrugged one shoulder towards the kitchen and Alex headed straight for the baby, who was screaming and doing his best to slither out of Stan's arms.

"Can I?" Alex offered with her hands open.

He actually turned away from her. He turned and adjusted his hold on the child, and made some kind of polite excuse for not giving him to her. Alex frowned and folded her arms, but she didn't say a word. A lot would need to be said tonight, but they weren't going to get anywhere if Stan got angry and threw them out again.

Bobby set the bottles out on the kitchen counter and contemplated pouring himself a glass before he turned to watch the exchange going on in the living room. He could read the body language of both Alex and Stan, and he too, frowned.

"What's the matter?" Liz asked, noticing the look on his face.

"Uh, nothing. Nothing." Bobby scratched his head and tried to offer her a smile. "C-can I… you know, help with something?"

"Pshh" was her response. "I had Stan throw one of those frozen lasagnas in the oven. Easiest dinner ever. And I've already opened a can of green beans, so we're all set."

Bobby smiled. It sounded just like Alex's idea of cooking.

"What's this?"

"We, uh, we wanted to contribute," he said.

"Glenlivet? And I know Alex likes Bourbon, but this is the aged stuff. Wow."

"If we're gonna drink, we may as well have a good one."

"Liz!" Stan called from the living room.

"Yes, honey?" She replied, walking out to meet him there. Bobby strolled out of the kitchen, too, and though he wasn't anywhere near Alex, she sensed his presence and met his eyes.

"Maybe it's a diaper thing," Stan suggested, and handed the baby to his wife.

"I'll come with," called Alex pleasantly, following her sister to the bedroom with Nathan. Bobby and Stan stared each other down for a moment until the timer went off, announcing the lasagna was done. Goren stepped out of the way while Stan went to retrieve it.

A few minutes later, the women returned. Nathan was tucked against Alex's shoulder, and though he still fussed, he seemed much more content.

"We should eat something," said Liz, leading the way to the set dining room table.

Bobby stepped out of her way and waited until Alex moved closely by him. He ran his fingers against Nathan's cheek and smiled when the baby tried to latch on to his knuckle. "Is he hungry?" Bobby asked their hosts.

"He shouldn't be, he just ate about 45 minutes ago. But maybe…" said Liz. She quickly prepared a bottle in the kitchen and handed it to Alex.

Nathan drank eagerly at first, then just turned his head one way or the other, completely disinterested in the bottle. Alex was sitting at the table with him, now, and Bobby was neglecting his meal as he watched her feed the baby.

Stan's face seemed to have a permanent scowl. It intensified whenever he looked at Bobby.

"Well, look, there's no easy way to bring this up except to bring it up," Liz announced nervously. "Stan and I had a long talk, and you know, there are a lot of options here…"

"We want what's best for Nathan," Bobby said quietly, and glanced at Alex for approval.

"Of course, that's what we all want," growled Stan.

"No matter what, we're family," Alex offered quietly. She looked at her sister, who seemed to get teary-eyed.

"And it's not Nathan's fault," Liz announced, blinking the tears away.

Bobby handed her a napkin, and she wiped her eyes.

"We went through a lot to have Nathan, you know," Liz continued. "You did, too." She acknowledged Alex with a gentle nod. "Our dream has always been to have children… and when we found out I couldn't, well…" Stan reached out and rubbed his hand against his wife's back. "And you and Bobby, you're wonderful people, and I know you'd love him, but you're not even a couple, really, and you're always working…"

"You want to keep him." Alex said it like her heart was broken.

"Well, that was the agreement all along, you know…" Liz was almost whispering.

"Not to mention the investment, both financial and emotional."

"We'll pay you the Goddamn money back," Bobby said. "Every red cent."

"You talk like you're going to take him," Stan cried.

"We talked it over, too, and… well, look at him!" Bobby gestured to Nathan, who had fallen quiet in Alex's arms. His eyelids were drooping, and he would soon be asleep. "He's not crying anymore."

"Babies cry all the time. It's just dumb luck he's quiet now."

"Stan."

"Would you listen to him, Liz? He thinks he can just come in and act like he's better than me, like they're better than us!"

"Stanley!" She warned him with a harsh whisper. "That is _not_ what they're doing."

He slid his chair back with a harsh squeal. "I'll put him to bed," he announced, and there was a silent standoff as he tried to take Nathan from Alex.

Finally, with great reluctance, she handed the baby over. He started to fuss again as soon as he left her arms, and by the time he was in his crib, he was really crying. Stan left him there and came back to the dining room.

They all tried to concentrate on their dinner for a moment, barely managing to swallow the food as they listened to the child's unanswered cries.

"He's just gonna have to cry it out, that's what the books all talk about."

Bobby scooted his chair back loudly and got to his feet. He pressed his lips together and left the room, headed straight for the bedroom.

"God, Alex, what are we going to do?!" Liz asked, leaning her head against the palm of her hand. "We love him and want him, and so do you… And we're his parents on paper, but you're his true parents… What's the right answer, here?"

The baby was quiet again. Bobby started to bring him back to the table, but he stopped in the hall and simply stood in place, gently rocking him.

Alex looked back at Bobby. "We are a couple, Liz. We got married today." She showed her sister her ring. "And if that doesn't tell you something about who Nathan wants to be with, I don't know what will." She jerked her head in Bobby's direction. "I'm sorry, Liz… Stan… I truly am. I went into the surrogacy fully intending to give you the child of your dreams. I never dreamed… But it doesn't matter now, does it. What has happened has happened, and we just have to make some decisions to make this turn out for the best."

Stan looked over at his wife, who seemed to have softened a little. He rolled his eyes. "Just like that. You're gonna give him up? Just like that?"

Liz was shocked at his reaction. "She's my _sister_! I _know her heart_ , Stan!"

"Fine. Good. You just wrap this all up for us, will you. I'd like to… to move on." He bolted to his feet and hurried out the door to the back deck.

Liz's eyes filled with tears once again. "I don't want to give him up, Alex. I love him."

"I know you do," Alex said, and reached across the table for her sister's hand. "I know." Tears pooled in her eyes, too.

"You'd better… just take him and go," Liz said. She pushed her chair away from the table. "The—you can have the carseat. Keys are on the hook in the garage."

Alex wanted desperately to reach out to her sister, but there seemed to be no way to do it. She nodded silently, turned and got Bobby's attention with a hand on his arm and an urgent whisper.

In 5 minutes, they were out of the house.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They did the necessary business of collecting Nathan, installing the car seat, and securing him in the safety harness. Then they piled into the car and sat there.

Bobby looked over at Alex, his wife, and his eyes asked the question he couldn't speak aloud.

She stared into his eyes and gave the subtlest of nods.

He started the car and drove them to a store. Inside, they were all business: diapers, formula, onesies, blankets, bottles. If they had been in the SUV, they could have bought a crib, but the trunk of Alex's car was small, and it was doubtful a large item would fit inside.

They spoke only a few words about it, and decided to leave the large items for later. After an hour, they were in the car again and Nathan was starting to cry.

Bobby drove them to her place. It was closer to her sister's, and Nathan needed to be out of the car seat as soon as possible. Alex carried the baby inside while Bobby retrieved the bags from the store.

"He needs a bottle, I think he's hungry. Probably a diaper, too," she told him.

Bobby ripped open the pack of diapers, handed her one, and then handed her the package of wipes. "I'll get the bottle ready," he said over his shoulder as he headed to the kitchen with the rest of the things.

By the time Alex had Nathan in a fresh diaper, Bobby was back with a newly warmed bottle. She cradled the baby in her arms and touched the bottle to his lips. He ate voraciously.

Alex couldn't describe her feelings. There were simply too many emotions battling for release at once. She was thrilled to have her child, but at the same time, felt horrible about taking him from her sister. She was excited to begin a new life with Bobby, something she wouldn't have dreamed of as recently as yesterday afternoon. And she was terrified that somehow it could all go wrong.

Bobby, too, was full of emotion. Like Alex, he decided to latch onto the only good feeling of the bunch. He sat down beside her, stretched his arm across her shoulders, and watched his son's face change with every suckling motion. Bobby rested his cheek against her temple, and admired how beautiful their baby was.

* * *

Sitting up, leaning hard against the pillows, Liz curled into a tight little ball on the couch. Tears streamed down her face and she realized that she despised the quiet.

He was gone. And she'd let him go.

She felt so bad she couldn't give voice to her pain. She cried silently, breathing through her mouth so no one would know. Stan hadn't emerged from the bedroom yet. She imagined how angry he must have been, and this made her cry, too. She loved her husband, and he loved her. They'd been married for 11 years. They'd been through hell and back together, and she had a stabbing feeling that everything was over now. Nothing, nothing in all their years together could have prepared them for this new hell.

And Nathan was gone.

She heard the door squeak, watched his feet move nearer and nearer as he came down the hall. Liz closed her eyes, trying without success to squelch the new wave of silent tears.

His arms were around her. At the warmth of Stan's touch, the floodgates opened, and she bawled like there was no tomorrow.

To her surprise, he sobbed, too. They clutched each other desperately, mourning a loss that wasn't really a loss, and yet it was the end of everything they'd dreamed and everything the Eames family had ever known.

"You let them go," he whispered, finally. It wasn't an accusation, just a statement.

"How could I take my sister's child?" she cried.

 _How could she take yours?_ Stan thought to himself as he drew his arms more firmly around his wife.

* * *

Neither of them could sleep. They'd showered Nathan with attention from the moment they'd brought him home, and now they lay in Alex's bed, with the contented infant between them.

They'd run out of words.

He was beautiful, perfect. They'd examined all of his parts, and decided where he favored her, where he favored his Daddy. They'd fed him and changed him and burped him and tucked him in.

He was sound asleep, and neither Bobby nor Alex could bring themselves to close their eyes. It seemed as if at any moment someone could burst in, arrest them for kidnapping, accuse them of being unfit for the role of parent. Or maybe someone would come and ask for their baby back.

They tried to make small talk. She shared experiences with her mother with him. He told a few tales of babysitting distant cousins, long-forgotten neighbor's kids. They assured each other that they would be good parents, and then blinked at the textured ceiling trying to convince themselves it was true.

When Nathan cried two hours later, they were relieved to have something else to occupy their minds.

 _Wow, that's a real mess! I'll get more wipes. Here, you missed a spot. I know how to change a baby. Maybe we should give him a bath. Yeah, a bath might be a good idea. Do you think he's hungry again? I'll make a bottle, just in case. What if he's cold? Or too hot? How will we know for sure?_

Somehow, at four a.m., after Nathan had survived a bath and another change of clothes, they laid him back in the bed between them and slept from pure exhaustion.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The baby woke them up just after 6 a.m. Bobby convinced her to stay in bed while he took care of Nathan. Alex tried to go back to sleep, but she kept thinking about everything again. She thought about her sister, and how they ought to handle the situation. Unable to resolve that in her mind, she thought about Nathan and the things they still needed: a crib, a stroller, maybe a playpen. Then she thought about her sister again. Liz had all of that stuff already. Alex and Bobby had bought the stroller for them as a baby shower gift.  
She thought about their financial situation. She didn't have a lot, but if she and Bobby intended to reimburse Stan and Liz for lawyer fees and medical bills that they had covered for the pregnancy and delivery, she was sure money was going to be tight. She wondered if Liz might give some of the baby things to her.

She felt awful just thinking about it, but it made sense, in a way. Alex rolled over for the twelfth time and gave up on sleep. Nathan was quiet now, and as she walked out to the living room, she could hear the little noises he made while sucking his bottle. Bobby was staring at the little boy in his arms, watching him eat as if he'd never seen it before.

He glanced up at her, and she shook her head. Alex sank down onto the couch beside Bobby and said, "I couldn't sleep." Looking at her husband, she was overwhelmed with love for him. Alex leaned over and kissed him just at the corner of his mouth.

Bobby turned his head and gave her a proper kiss, followed by a smile.

Alex smiled back, but soon her face was contorted with worry and pain. "I think we should ask Liz, you know, if she would be willing to part with any of the… baby stuff."

He chewed on his bottom lip, but didn't protest. Bobby's finances weren't great. With the expense of caring for his mother, he felt sure the bulk of their expenses would fall on Alex's shoulders.

Nathan fussed and dropped the bottle from his mouth. Bobby caught it in his hand, and Alex held her arms out. He handed the child to his wife.

After Nathan settled in for another nap, Alex tried to call her sister. No one answered.

"Is she working?" Bobby asked quietly.

Alex shrugged. "Even if she is, she always answers my calls." Her face screwed up with pain again and she frowned at him, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Bobby scratched his head. "I should, uhm… go to my place… pick up a few things." He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "You gonna be okay?"

She nodded slowly. "We'll be fine," she whispered.

"Call me if you know, if you need me. I-I-I could… pick up some more… maybe some cream for his diaper rash or something."

"I'll text you," she told him.

* * *

Liz heard the phone ring, and saw that it was Alex calling, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to her sister. She was feeling hollow and raw from crying. Stan had stayed with her all morning, but his work called and he had to go in for a few hours in the afternoon. He promised to talk with his boss and see if he could get some time off so they could be together to deal with this family crisis.

She moved around her too-quiet house, and everywhere she looked she saw something they had bought for Nathan. The baby swing, the high chair that was tucked away in a corner of the dining room for when he was older, the crib in her bedroom, the pictures of him when he was born, including one of Alex in her dotted hospital gown, smiling like a trooper even though when Liz looked at it now, she could see the pain behind her sister's smile.

Liz turned the pictures face down so she wouldn't have to see them. She closed the door on the nursery, and folded his little clothes and blankets, tucking them into bags and in drawers, anywhere to get them out of sight.

Alex called again. Liz stared at the phone, bit her lip, and mustered the courage to answer. "Yes," she said, and her voice failed her.

"Liz…" Alex didn't sound so great, either. "I'm… Nathan's all right. I know you're probably thinking of him."

"Yeah." Liz swallowed hard and found enough strength to keep from crying.

"We, uh, we bought, you know, some formula and diapers on the way home…"

"That's good."

"We don't have a crib, or, you know, a stroller… yet."

Liz knew exactly what Alex was thinking. She took a deep breath. "I… I haven't talked to Stan… about our plans… we may still… need that stuff."

"Of course, I understand."

"But it's just gonna sit and collect dust until…" She paused, and realized it may be another year or even longer before she and Stan might follow through with that dream.

"Never mind, Liz. It was just a thought…"

"No, Alex. I want Nathan to have… what he needs."

"I know. But I feel…" Alex's voice drifted away. She didn't want to hurt Liz anymore.

Liz took a deep breath. "How did the night go?" she asked, hoping that the answer would help, and not further break her heart.

"Good. Yeah… it was… good."

"Did he sleep?"

"Well, he woke us several times, but… he's a baby, that's what they do, right?"

"Right." As they spoke, Liz absently returned the newborn pictures to their upright position. She looked at Nathan's little face, and then at Alex's weary eyes in the hospital room. "Look, Alex. Stan's gone right now. If you want the crib and the rest, you should come get it before he returns. He's angry enough as it is."

"Liz, forget it. I don't want to cause any more grief."

"No, Alex. Those things are… are Nathan's. And Nathan is your son. I… I want you to have them. J-just do it quickly, all right?"

"I'll send Bobby over."

"Alex, if I can't always talk to you…"

"I understand, Liz. I love you."

"I love you, too," Liz whispered, and new tears sprung from her eyes.

"Maybe in a week or two it won't hurt so much," Alex told her, her own voice faltering. She felt the tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

"Yeah. Maybe," Liz whimpered, and before she lost control completely, she hung up the phone.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Bobby headed straight to Liz's house. He was in the Mustang, which had enough room between the trunk and the back seat to accommodate most, if not all, of whatever she was willing to give them.

In typical Eames fashion, Liz had overcome her tears and was a pillar of strength. She had gone into the nursery and dismantled the crib. She had pulled the stroller out of the garage and found the portable playpen. Everything was waiting for him to simply load into the car and take away. As Bobby carried pieces of crib to the trunk, she slipped the diaper bag onto the front seat.

"I'm sorry I didn't send this with you last night. I could have saved you that late night trip to the store," she told him.

Bobby gave her a compassionate smile. "It's all right," he said, and, "I can't tell you how grateful we are to you and… and Stan."

She bit her lower lip and refused to cry again. She almost managed a smile and disappeared into the house again.

Bobby got the crib loaded and was pondering the best placement of the folded stroller when Stan's car pulled into the other side of the driveway.

"What the hell's going on here?!" he demanded.

Bobby looked down at his feet and scratched the back of his head. "Uh, Liz, sh-she, uh… she told us to come take it," he explained.

Stan was not pleased. He peered into the open garage and scowled. Then he turned back to Goren. "This is fucking theft," he said.

Bobby bit back the smart-ass comment on the tip of his tongue. He'd always heard that Stan had a temper, but until now, he'd never seen the man angry. He didn't want to make things worse, so he remained quiet. He turned his attention back to the stroller, and Stan headed for the door to the house.

Liz took two steps out, saw her husband, and froze in place. "Y-you're home," she said.

"Just how much are you planning to give them?" he demanded.

"J-just a few necessities. There's no need for us to hang on to it."

"You didn't think to discuss that with me first? Geez, Liz, don't you think I have anything to say about any of this?!"

"I know you're angry, Stan, but it's for Nathan."

He gave an unconvincing smile and nodded his head, his eyes squinted. "Yeah. For Nathan. Right." Stan turned and called over his shoulder, "You'd better get that rustbucket out of my driveway before it leaves a mark."

Bobby paused, having stuffed the stroller into place. He straightened up and watched Stan move past his wife and into the house, slamming the door in the process.

Liz walked over, her arms folded across her chest, looking remarkably like her sister. "You'd better go, Bobby."

"You're—he's not—you're gonna be all right, aren't you?"

She looked back at the door to the house and shrugged. "He's just mad. He'll cool down."

"Let me just get that playpen in."

She nodded stiffly and stepped out of his way. Then she slowly walked back toward her house. "Bobby… I'll see you around."

"Thanks again, Liz."

She nodded once and went inside.

Just as Bobby was about to drop into the driver's seat, Stan was outside again. He scowled at Goren. "I'll fucking get a lawyer if I have to. You'll pay us every last cent. For all of it. The fucking pregnancy, everything."

"We already said we would reimburse you."

"Damned right you will. And stay the hell away from my wife!"

"She invited me over. She told us to do this," Bobby said, his hands open and up in the air.

"She's distraught, not thinking straight, and you're… you're fucking taking advantage of that. I don't want to see your ugly face anywhere near this house again, is that clear?!"

Bobby understood the situation. He knew emotions were running high. He knew Stan was a hothead. But that authoritarian tone made him bristle. "Clear as a Goddamn sunny day," Goren snipped back. "And you wanna know something, Gallagher? Maybe you should think a little less about the money and a little more about your wife!"

The fist came out of nowhere. Bobby took a solid hit on his lower lip, but to his credit, he didn't react. He raised his left hand and swiped it across his mouth, smearing his skin with blood.

"Get the hell out of here," Stan ordered.

Bobby thought of Alex. He thought of Liz. He slowly got into the seat, started the engine, and pulled out. Stan watched him until he was halfway down the street.

* * *

It was no use. He cleaned up at a gas station, and he held a paper towel on his lip until the bleeding stopped, but it was bruised and swollen, and there was no hiding it from Alex.

Silently, he unloaded an armful of baby supplies from the car and brought them inside.

"How did it go?" She asked innocently.

"Good, you know…" he set the things in the corner and straightened up again.

"Bobby, my God!"

"I-I-It's just… Stan… you know, he's… he's upset."

"Well, so the fuck am I! And you and Liz and everybody!" Her eyes widened. "What did you do to him?"

"N-nothing!" Goren cried, waving his arm at her. " I didn't do anything."

"Thank God for that. What happened?"

"He just… he got mad and he punched me. And I left. That's it. That's all."

"Jesus, Bobby. It's bad enough, you know? He _punched_ you?! Jesus!" She clamped her hand to her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Alex." Bobby moved closer. "Alex." She opened her eyes and looked at him, but still kept her hand over her mouth. "It's all right. He just, you know, he just needed to… to get it out of his system."

She stared at him a moment. Then her eyes drifted down to the scab on his bottom lip. She reached out and delicately traced his mouth with her thumb. "Oh, Bobby…" she whispered.

He took her hand in his and kissed her gently on the lips. "It's okay. I'm just gonna get the… the rest of the stuff. Is Nathan-?"

"He's sleeping," she said. "Resting up to keep us awake tonight, I'm sure."

Bobby smiled and felt the scab split. He touched his hand to his lip, and she pulled a tissue out of a nearby box. Alex handed it to him. Bobby pressed it against his mouth and went back out to the car.

* * *

"Alex, what the hell is going on?"

"Johnny?" She pressed her fingers into her eyes and sighed.

"Alex?" he demanded.

"It's a long story," she said.

"Yeah, something about Nathan's really yours and… _Bobby's_ , and you _took_ him from Liz and Stan?"

"In a nutshell, yes." She was a little irritated with her brother's tone. "How did you hear?"

"Liz showed up at Dad's last night, all upset. I guess she and Stan had it out, and she left him."

"Oh, God…" Alex returned her fingers to her eyes. She had a migraine coming on, she was sure of it.

"And she tells Dad this crazy story about Nathan, and what the hell, Alex?!"

"It's true," she told her brother with a shrug. "Nathan is ours. Mine and Bobby's. I have a DNA report that proves it. And Liz, she gets that. She told us to take him. Is she all right? Stan didn't take it out on her, did he?" Stan had never been violent with her sister, so far as she knew, but he'd just punched Bobby, and anything was possible.

"She's all right, just upset. Besides, Stan knows better. How's the baby?"

"Fine. He has us all running and fetching for him. He eats, he sleeps, he's happy as a clam."

"And you're… you're up for this…?"

"What?"

"Motherhood. Parenting. How will you do this and work, too?"

"The same way everybody else does. I'll share the burden with Bobby."

"He's up for this?"

"He's Nathan's _father_ , Johnny. That's pretty damned important."

"But it's just so… sudden. He's going to help you out? Give you child support?"

"Oh, I guess you're missing a big piece of information."

"Huh?"

"We got married."

"What?!"

"Bobby and I are married."

"Fuck me. Congratulations, I guess."

"Well. Thank you, I guess."

"Sis?"

"Yeah, Johnny?"

"I don't know how the hell this is all going to play out, but… I love you. And I love Liz, too. And I don't want to be put in the middle or anything."

"Johnny, if there's one thing that's right about this, it's that we all want what's best for Nathan. And Liz… I know she's hurt, but we talked yesterday, and… we're gonna be okay, Johnny."

"What about Bobby? Is he okay? Liz said Stan's hand swelled up."

"It did?! Y-yeah, Bobby's okay. He said Stan just had to get it out of his system. He's over it already. Is Dad… how's Dad with all of this?"

"Well, he's… worried. About all of you."

"Shit."

"Look, Alex, I don't know what you expected—"

"I didn't expect a damn thing, Johnny. Ever since we found out Nathan was ours it's been like a runaway train. Tell Dad not to worry."

"Tell him yourself."

Alex drew in a long, deep breath. Bobby was asleep, and the baby started to cry in the other room. "Look, I gotta go, Nathan's crying. Love you Johnny. Bye." She hung up before he could say anything else and hurried to get the baby before Bobby woke up.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Bobby was out meeting potential nannies, with Nathan in tow. Alex was at a bar that served particularly good corned beef, waiting for her Dad to arrive. She sipped at a glass of Guinness, worrying about what he would say about the whole thing.

"That's how you drink an Irish beer?" He teased her, and she turned her head.

"Hi, Dad." Alex got to her feet and gave him a hug. Then she waved to one of the waiters, who came over a minute later with a fresh Guinness for Mr. Eames.

John Eames sat across from Alex in the booth and leveled his steel blue eyes at her. "How's my girl?" he asked seriously.

Alex tried to shrug, but all she managed was an uncomfortable twist. "Dad, how should I be? Happy, heartbroken, angry… You name it, I'm probably feeling it."

"Your sister, too."

"I know."

"How's Nate?"

Alex's expression softened, and she smiled. "He's fine. He's with Bobby, shopping for a sitter." They were both quiet a moment as they sipped their drinks. "I'm sorry to drag you out like this, but I thought maybe Liz…"

"She needs some time away from you now." He spoke the words with a nod.

Alex closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"She loves you, Alex."

A tear fell, and Alex's voice broke. "I know. And I love her too, Dad!"

"So it's all gonna be just fine, sweetie." He patted her hand with one hand and took a drink of his beer with the other. "Johnny said you got married?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Alex said, holding her hand out for her father to see the ring.

"How's Bobby?"

"Dad, he's great. He's been so good, so supportive…"

"I remember when he was with you at the hospital."

Alex clamped her mouth shut and nodded. "He's great with Nathan."

"I'm sure he is."

"Dad… enough of the small talk, okay? I… I need to know what you think."

The elder Eames studied his daughter for a moment. "I think that I love Nathan, and I love Elizabeth, and I love you, Alexandra. And so long as that's what you are keeping at the forefront, this will all work itself out."

Alex sighed. "But what about Bobby?"

"You married him." Eames said it with a shrug.

"You don't approve."

"I didn't say any such thing."

"You didn't say you're in favor of it, either."

"I'm a little surprised by that, yes, but you know Bobby better than I do, Alex. And the fact is, you have a good head on your shoulders. You've decided he's the man for you, and I'll trust you on that."

"He's Nathan's father, Dad."

"I understand that."

"I love him."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Dad…"

"Alexandra. Nathan is yours and Bobby's. That's the truth of things. And this is awkward and painful for everyone, but it's going to be all right. There are always uncertainties in life, but…" He shook his head, then tapped the middle of his chest, "You follow what's in here, and it will all be fine in the end."

"What happened between Liz and Stan?" Alex asked.

"Stan is angry. He's preoccupied with all the things that have gone wrong for he and Liz, and he can't seem to get past that. They argued, and she came over to my place for a few days."

"She's planning to go back to him, then?"

"Do you remember their wedding?"

Alex chuckled. "Yeah."

"Those two have been in love since the day they met. There's nothing that will keep them apart for very long."

"I hope you're right about that."

* * *

"Oh, hello, Stella." Liz stepped out of the doorway and allowed her mother-in-law to enter. "My Dad's not home. He, uh… he had to meet someone for lunch."

"I didn't come to see him," Stella Gallagher said firmly. She looked at her daughter-in-law and held out her arms.

Liz leaned into the woman's embrace.

"I thought we should talk," she said against her cheek.

Liz nodded, pulled away, and led the older woman to the couch.

"Stan called you?"

"Where's a boy to go but to his mother?"

"He's upset."

"Of course he is."

"Stella, I didn't want to leave him like that, but I just couldn't… he's so angry, and I can't… be around that right now."

"He misses you."

"It's only been two days."

"Two days can be a long time."

Liz nodded, and tears filled her eyes. "He just can't understand… I'm only thinking about Nathan! And all Stan wants to talk about is the _money._ "

"He promised to take care of you; money is a big part of that. He wants to provide for you."

"It's the last thing I care about right now."

The old woman smiled. "Hmmm… so it's good that _someone_ cares about it."

"He punched my sister's husband!"

"Liz…" Stella leaned in and took Liz's cheek with her hand. "I'm not taking sides… except to say that I'm on yours. Yours and Stan's. You've been together too long to let things fall apart. No matter what's happened, how painful it is… Stan is your husband, and he loves you. And I love you, too. You're the daughter I never had. I just want you both to be all right."

"And Nathan…" Liz's words were speckled with whimpers.

"That's right. Nathan, too."

Liz leaned against her mother-in-law and cried again. She hadn't thought of how her decision had taken the woman's grandchild from her.

"Liz, honey… promise me that you'll call Stan… talk to him."

Liz couldn't speak, but she nodded.

* * *

Bobby shook John Eames' hand while Alex greeted the baby. "Good to see you, Mr. Eames."

"And you, Bobby." A minute later, Nathan was in his grandfather's arms.

"Did you have any luck?"

Goren nodded. "Two of them, I liked. I thought they could meet with you tomorrow."

Alex sighed. "We'll have to talk to Deakins. We can't go back to work until we have this sorted out."

"I already did. Nathan and I stopped by to visit Uncle Jimmy today."

"Uncle Jimmy?" Alex asked him with a grin. Bobby only winked at her.

"He does look like you, doesn't he, Bobby?" said Alex's father.

Nathan spit up, and his parents moved quickly to rescue John from the mess.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It was awkward.

Bobby lay in bed beside the woman of his dreams, who had curled into the fetal position, her back to him. He listened to Nate's breathing drifting over from the crib beside the bed and stared at the ceiling.

What in hell were they doing? Married? Sleeping together as if they had some kind of normal relationship?

He felt like the foot of mattress that separated their bodies was the Atlantic ocean. He didn't have to look. He could feel the distance between them.

She hadn't said anything about it, but Bobby was sure it was awkward for her, too. She changed clothes privately, either in the bathroom or with the door to the bedroom shut. She kissed him politely, but they hadn't made love since the day they'd gotten hitched. He couldn't blame her. As much as he desired her, he was uncomfortable with it, too.

Nathan made a gurgling noise, interrupting Bobby's thoughts. He almost got to his feet to check on the baby, but after listening sharply for a few minutes, he realized Nate had gone back to sleep.

Bobby sighed as he realized once again that this was all for Nathan's sake. It wasn't a case of a dream come true, it was all about Nate. For the sake of the baby, they would be together. They would keep each other together and buffer him from all of the fallout, even if everything else went to hell.

Suddenly, Goren got to his feet and moved to the crib. He gently rested his hand against the baby's back, taking some comfort in the movement of the boy's chest. Bobby lifted his hand back to the crib's rail and turned to look at Eames.

The comforter was too hot, and they had both turned it down as far as they could reach. Her feet and part of her legs were still under it, but the rest of her was resting under a soft sheet. His eyes ran along the curves of her torso, and he folded his arms across his chest.

She was beautiful. She was everything he'd ever dreamed of, and she was his wife. Bobby raised his hand and rubbed his weary eyes. Then he rubbed his nose on the back of his hand. He wanted her. He wanted to crawl over her in the bed and kiss her until she awakened.

He thought about how she'd said goodnight and turned away and he rubbed the back of his neck. Frustrated, he crawled back into the bed. He turned his back to her and his hand drifted to his thickened cock.

Bobby squeezed himself. He saw her in his mind's eye, and he worked his hand, trying to lose himself in the sensations. He felt his flesh stiffen even more under his fingers, and he bit his bottom lip, still trying to chase the image of her from his mind.

She stirred beside him, and Bobby froze. His breath betrayed him.

"Bobby?" she asked sleepily. "You all right?"

"Yeah," he breathed, and tried to quiet his breathing. His hand was still against his crotch, and he felt his cock twitch. It knew what it wanted. He squeezed it hard with his hand, trying to appease it without giving himself away.

She rolled over. Her breath against his shoulder blade gave him goosebumps. "You can't sleep?" She asked, still innocent, still unsuspecting. Her hand fell against his hip, and he moaned softly. He released his cock and reached for her hand, bringing it down to replace his.

Alex gasped in surprise. It had only been a couple of days, but already, she'd forgotten his girth. Without a word, she began stroking him slowly.

Bobby rolled to his back to give her easier access. His eyes were closed, and his catching breath betrayed him again. "God…" he groaned.

Alex's lips found his. He felt like he was trapped somewhere between lust and logic. His hips thrusted against her hand, and he broke the kiss. Bobby's left hand cupped and kneaded her breast, and he tried to speak.

The words hitched in his throat. Her hand sent a jolt through his body, and he groaned again before catching her mouth with his own. He wrestled with his desire and finally stopped her, stopped everything.

Bobby held her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes, panting.

"What?" She asked, recognizing the shadow lurking behind his eyes.

"Y-you're sure…" he whispered.

She looked at him quizzically.

"Th-this is just about the baby, right?"

Her jaw dropped, and though instinctively she knew what he meant, she wouldn't accept it. "What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded.

He let go of her and couldn't seem to figure out where to put his hands if they weren't touching her. Finally, he tucked them near his chin, the palm of one hand nearly in his mouth. "Us. Married. I mean, you d-don't love me."

"Jesus Christ." She was disgusted with him. Alex returned to her own side of the bed and flopped down, sitting on the side of her right hip. "Are you fucking serious?!"

He simply nodded his head.

"Bobby, I _married_ you, for Christ's sake!"

"Yeah, b-b-b-but that's because of Nate. I mean, we have to take care of Nate."

She was very quiet. Alex was furious, not because he had insecurities, but because she got tired of having to reassure him. Alex slid out of the bed and got to her feet. "I need a glass of water… or something," she muttered, and left the room.

Bobby was left listening to his heart pounding in his ears. His cock was throbbing right along with it, and he was suddenly very annoyed. He reached down and adjusted himself so roughly it hurt. Then he turned to his side, his arms crossed against his chest.

Nathan slept peacefully through the whole thing.

* * *

She never returned to bed that night. Bobby slept fitfully, and was relieved when Nathan cried, because it gave him an excuse to be up.

Alex was on the couch under a throw blanket. A bottle of whiskey sat on the coffee table, beside her empty tumbler. Bobby held the baby against his shoulder as he walked past his wife and into the kitchen.

He was raw from the lack of sleep, and her actions, or rather _lack of_ , had hurt him deeply. He bounced Nathan a little more vigorously that he should have, and the child began to cry again.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," Bobby tried to comfort him. He whispered, "It's okay, I'll make you a bottle, huh?"

She pushed herself up to a sitting position. "He all right?" Alex asked, her voice weary.

"Yeah, sure, he's just, you know, he's hungry." Bobby never looked her way when he answered.

Alex tried to rubbed the kink out of her neck and got to her feet. "Let me help you," she offered, and went to take Nathan from him.

Bobby didn't want to give him up. He reluctantly passed the infant to Alex, and then focused wholly on warming up the bottle.

"You know, I can, uh… we can set up another bed…"

"Huh?" Alex asked, not sure if she'd heard him right. "Jeez, you're still upset?"

He shook his head first, then nodded. "You left me," he whispered, matter-of-fact.

"I was tired," Alex explained. "And you know, Bobby… I've got a lot to deal with right now." She nodded at the child. "Him…" and all that this is doing to my… family… and… sometimes I just don't have any more to give, you know?"

He lowered his head, thinking over what she'd said, but he didn't accept it fully. Bobby nodded quietly.

She moved closer to him, and he handed her the bottle. Nate quieted immediately, drinking furiously. "But I need you to hear this, Bobby."

He met her gaze.

"I know this is all very sudden, and it seems to have sprung from nowhere, and I'd be lying if I said it had nothing to do with Nathan. But this is the truth, okay, so listen. I love you. I married you because I do. And I need you to remember that, okay? Always. Because I can't promise that I'll have it in me to chase away your demons, okay? This isn't ideal, we both know that. But Nathan… he's the proof of our love. He's here because I love you. Even before I was ready to admit it, I loved you. And I love you now."

They stared into each other's eyes, and Bobby finally nodded.

She looked down at the baby, "Good Lord, he already drank half of that bottle!" She took the nipple from his mouth and raised him to her shoulder to burp him. Within a few seconds, he let go a big one. The two shared a chuckle and Alex passed Nathan back to his father. She stayed close while Bobby replaced the bottle in Nate's mouth, and then she tilted her head and kissed Bobby gently on the lips.

"Sorry," he breathed.

"I'm sorry, too."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Hello?"

Stan's deep voice seem to rattle her, and Liz was even more nervous than before. "Hi," she squeaked.

She could hear his sigh of relief on the other end of the line. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded a moment before she managed to speak. "Yeah, you know… okay. Uhm… are you?"

"I guess so… be a lot better if you'd come home to me."

"I just… I needed some space, Stanley."

"Okay, I know, it's okay. This isn't something either one of us was prepared for."

"I'm sorry," Liz said, and tears sprung from her eyes.

"Oh, Liz, you don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm the one who's sorry. I'm not—I guess I'm not the man I thought I was. I'm sorry, honey. I'm sorry I was bitter about Nathan not being mine, and I'm sorry I drove you away from me. You're such a good woman, Liz. You're a far better person than I can ever be. I hope you can forgive me, Liz. I hope that just one more time, you can forgive me. I don't want to live without you, honey. I don't know what I'll do without you. I don't like it here alone. I… I feel lost."

She cried even harder. "Oh, Stan, I am sorry. I didn't think enough about how you were feeling. I should have talked to you first, before I made any decisions. And now it's done and I'm broken, and we're broken, and I don't think there's any way I can fix it." She broke into sobs.

"Come home to me," he pleaded, his voice heavy with his own tears. "We'll fix it together." She was crying so hard she couldn't reply. "Come home. Please," he pleaded sadly.

Liz nodded, but she couldn't say anything. Her father returned, and the distraction was enough to lift her momentarily from her sorrow. She sniffed. "Uh, Dad just got back," she told her husband.

"Good. I don't want you to be alone," Stan said. "Liz, whatever you need, I'll do it. If you need to be alone, I'll wait for you. If you want to talk, or to get Nathan back, or to run away to Tahiti, I'll do it. You just say the word, honey. I'll do it."

"I love you, Stan," she managed to whisper.

"I love you, too, Liz. Forever and for always."

"Look, uh, I should go talk to Dad. I… I'm really tired," she admitted.

"Okay. Whatever you need," Stan reassured her.

"Maybe tomorrow?" she suggested.

"Sure, honey. Take as long as you need. I'll be here. And I am sorry. I love you."

"Good night, Stan."

"Night, Liz."

She hung up quickly, not wanting to allow the conversation to drift back to the painful feelings again. Liz took a deep breath and held the phone against her chin. She could get through this. She and Stan could get through it.

"Elizabeth?" her father called from the other room.

"I'm here, Dad," she said, and some of the strength had returned to her voice.

* * *

Bobby wanted to make it up to her. He was ashamed that he had been so needy and pathetic the night before. She was going through a lot, and she needed a strong arm to lean on, not a whiny man to clutch at her desperately and sap her strength.

All day, he worked hard to take care of Nathan, to do household chores, and to relieve her of some of her stress. They settled on a nanny and hired her on the spot. She would be available in two calendar days.

She didn't ask if he wanted one, but she poured them both a glass of scotch. Alex sank into the soft cushions of the couch and took a sip from hers. "Thank God we found someone. You think we should both go back to work together, or maybe one of us go for a day or two, and then the other?"

Bobby shrugged and joined her on the couch. He took a swig from his own glass. "It might be a comfort to Nathan to have you near a little longer."

"Or you," Alex said, raising an eyebrow at him.

He allowed a grin to show. "Whatever you think is best," he said, and took another drink.

"I don't want to decide everything, you know," she told him. She wasn't angry; she was only stating her mind.

"I know," he agreed. Bobby leaned closer, and soon she was curled against his chest. He threw one arm over her shoulders and they rested in each other's arms. They heard Nathan fussing through the baby monitor, a new addition to their home. Both of them sat very still, listening, until he quieted again. They were both exhausted.

"I want to talk to Deakins, then I'll make up my mind," she announced.

Bobby said nothing, but after a few minutes of contented silence, he stretched his lips to kiss her hair. Turning back, he finished off his glass of whiskey.

Alex took another sip of hers, bent to place it on the table, and then settled under his arm again. She reached up and kissed the underside of his stubbly chin. She inhaled his scent when he turned his lips to hers, and she could feel his fingertips against the back of her head while their tongues mingled.

She felt a drip and caught his glass in her right hand, pulling away from his kiss. "We'd better set that down," she warned him, taking it from his fingers and placing it on the table beside hers. She was surprised when he took her glass up in his hand and gulped the rest of her whiskey down. Bobby set the glass back on the table with a thud, grinning at her.

"Couldn't let that go forgotten," he explained, and his mouth was on hers once more, the icy fingertips of his left hand still cold from the chill of his glass as they trailed down the skin of her neck.

He unfastened her buttons, his lips following the trail of his hands. He kissed the center of her chest as he helped her push her blouse off her shoulders.

Alex leaned forward and hung her arms around his neck, giving him better access to the clasp of her bra. Once the back was released, she touched her tongue to his jaw, closing her mouth in a kiss over the damp spot. She repeated the gesture again and again, working her way back to his whiskey-spiced lips.

Bobby softly tickled her spine with his fingernails before pressing his now-warm hands firmly against her skin and gliding them back up to her shoulders. He groaned with desire, and she pulled away, tugging wordlessly at the fabric of his shirt. Her eyes were burning with desire.

Alex shrugged out of her bra quickly while Bobby yanked the old t-shirt off. He unfastened the button on his pants before she managed to crawl into his lap. He moved his hands to the waistband of her jeans and tucked his fingers inside.

She felt a tingle as his fingers slid over her skin. Alex kissed him eagerly, grunting a little in her desire. Her button fell free, and the zipper parted under his hand.

The jeans were tight, and left little room for his hand. Alex raised up onto her knees, and he pushed her pants away from her waistline. She was surprised to realize her hand had found his zipper, too. Bobby squeezed her ass with his right and wriggled out of his own pants with his left. After another short struggle, they were both naked. He crushed her nipple with his palm and eased her back, crawling over her with passionate kisses.

They gasped for breath, breaking apart simply out of the need for air before latching to each other once more. Hands massaged and scraped, soothed and discovered, exhaustion forgotten in the heat of desire.

With a few whispers, they managed to fit themselves together. Alex's breath shook as he filled her, and he moaned in pleasure at the sensation. He placed sensual kisses on her neck as she moved with him.

Nathan fussed in the monitor, and they paused, listening once again. Panting against each other, they began again. Bobby steadily moved faster until her fingernails dug into his shoulder muscles. She tremored beneath him. The sensation drove him to move even faster, until at last he dove in hard and froze in place, motionless except for the involuntary spasms that erupted inside her.

After a moment, he remembered to breathe. Bobby slumped against her, resting his forehead gently against hers. He moistened his lips and kissed her.

Alex trailed her fingertips against his whiskers.

Afraid he was crushing her under his weight, Bobby shifted and pulled away from her. His gentle hand tucked behind her neck and he lifted her until she was sitting up. "You're not staying on the couch tonight," he announced, and she had to smile.

They grabbed their clothes from the floor and tumbled after each other to the bedroom.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What's the matter?" Alex whispered into the night. They'd been in bed for hours, and except for one feeding, they'd both slept until the last hour, when Bobby had been restless.

"Nothing, go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you."

Bobby's stillness as he tried to allow her to settle back to sleep was more distracting than his movement had been. She raised herself up on one elbow and studied his face until he realized he was being watched and looked back at her.

Neither said a word for several minutes. Finally, Bobby sighed. "I think we need to get some of this, all of this… on paper. I don't trust Stan. He's very emotional, unpredictable. I think we need to make sure we're, you know, legal with Nathan."

Alex nodded seriously. "We'll have to get the money together somehow. It should settle him down."

"Alex, we don't have enough to reimburse him for everything. The legal fees, maybe, but it will take… a while to pay the medical."

"Then we should get a loan or something. I'd rather pay a bank than Stan. I don't think it will help our relationship with them if we have this accounting back and forth."

"First we need to know how much to ask for," Bobby said sadly.

"I'll talk to Liz. I feel like it's time, anyway."

Bobby reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. Slowly, Alex settled against him. They only nestled against each other for a few minutes when the baby stirred and began to cry.

* * *

"Liz, it's Alex." John Eames held her phone out to her, waiting for her to accept it. He didn't like these rifts in the family, and he wanted things to get back to normal, and soon. He knew Stanley had called last night, but he wasn't sure why Liz hadn't gone home. Now Alex was reaching out, and he hoped Liz would at least talk to her.

It took Liz a few minutes to get out of bed. She warily took the phone from her father's hands. He shouldn't have answered her phone, but he had, and she felt compelled to take it from him. "Hello."

John watched her, so she turned away from him.

"Hello, Liz."

"How's Nate?" It was the only thing she cared about at the moment.

"He's fine. He's, uhm… settling in." Alex almost regretted saying the words, wondering if she'd just hurt her sister again.

Liz swallowed, then cleared her throat.

"I was wondering if we could talk today."

She nodded before she managed to speak. "Y-yeah. Okay."

"Should I bring him?" Alex wasn't sure if her sister was ready for that.

Liz took a deep breath. She wanted to be brave, as she'd always been. She wanted to say yes and just battle through whatever emotions churned up, but already she could feel a pain in her heart. "I'm not sure."

"Okay. I can leave him with Bobby if—"

"I want to see him, Alex. B-but I don't know if I can—"

"Okay. Uh, I'll think of something. This morning? Maybe around 10?"

Liz drew in a deep breath and let it go. "Okay."

"I love you, sis."

At that moment, Liz couldn't quite return the sentiment. "Okay." She hung up the phone.

* * *

They both took care getting dressed. Somehow, meeting with Liz seemed like the most important meeting of their lives. Alex dressed Nate while Bobby packed the diaper bag. When they arrived at her father's house, Bobby carried the infant seat, two steps behind his wife.

Alex rang the bell. John let them in and cooed over the baby when Bobby set him down on the floor. The old man reached down and unfastened the restraints, then picked him up.

Liz walked out to see Nathan cradled in her father's arms. She thought her heart stopped. She raised her hand to her mouth, stifling a sob. "Oh! He's here." She couldn't tear her eyes away from the baby.

"If you need us to take him, Bobby can go whenever…"

"N-no," Liz said. She stepped forward and touched the child's cheek. He seemed to smile for her. "Oh, Nate!" she breathed, and suddenly she realized how much the boy looked like Bobby. She lifted her eyes to meet Goren's, then quickly looked back at the baby.

"Bobby, did I show you what I've done in the den? You have to come see," announced Mr. Eames. He looked over at his daughters. "We'll be right back," he promised, then hurried down the hall with the baby in his arms. Bobby gave Alex a look of encouragement and followed her father.

Liz returned her hand to her mouth, staring after the baby.

"You want some coffee or something?" Alex offered gently.

"No, it's okay," she said and sank onto the couch.

Alex sat beside her. "I know how hard this is," she began, "and I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate what you've done for us…"

Tears filled her eyes, but Liz blinked them away and waved her hand at her sister. "Oh, stop, Alex. We can't go through the rest of our lives talking like that. It is what it is. And you don't know what it's like for me, so don't even start."

Alex was caught off-guard by her sister's comment. She sighed softly and the words came out before she even knew what she was saying. "I carried him inside me for nine months and then handed him over to you," she said. "I held him in my arms while everyone assured me what a great Aunt I would be."

"Yeah, well at least you had nine months to prepare for that!" Liz snapped. "I had no idea I would be giving him up. I had no time to think about being an Aunt instead of a Mommy."

Alex frowned. They were silent. In the other room, Nathan cried, then was quieted by the sounds of two men's voices. "You're right," Alex agreed.

"I say we just stop talking about it, okay? No need for apologies and no need for gratitude. It is, and it has to be, and we will all be a family, no matter how weird it seems."

Alex nodded. "You're right again. But we do need to talk about something." She explained their need to make their custody of Nathan official, and to reimburse Liz and Stan for their expenses. She asked Liz for a figure so they could start the necessary paperwork.

Liz spoke through tears. "God, I don't know, off-hand. I'll have to talk to Stan, go through the paperwork. I don't know if he's ready for that."

Alex nodded empathetically. She knew this was hard for him, too, but she couldn't help thinking that Stan had already crunched the numbers. "Just get me a ballpark figure and we can go from there," Alex said.

Liz brushed away her tears and shook her head with a sigh. "I should go home anyway." She managed to laugh a little in spite of her feelings. "I think I've worn out my welcome with Dad."

Alex reached for her sister's hands. "I know you don't want me to say it, what I said before, so instead I'll just say I love you."

Liz fell into Alex's arms and the two sisters cried together. Before they left, Liz held Nathan for a while, trying to adjust to her new role as his Aunt.


End file.
